2008 recipient of the Thomas Francis Jr. Fellowship.

1. The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU):
Exploring the Challenges of a Faith-Based
Approach to HIV/AIDS Service Delivery
A Teaching Case Study
Mara Brain, MPH/MPAc
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Global Health Department and
Evans School of Public Affairs
Purpose of Research
University of Washington, Seattle, WA Topics for Student Analysis and Discussion
This research will result in a teaching case study to be submitted in
Inter-Religious Council of Uganda
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of
Effective leaders and managers must develop their skills in organizing,
Public Health and Master of Public Administration. The purpose of the Kampala, Uganda managing, and leading complex systems and processes within a
research is to develop a teaching case, or a story, describing or based
variety of local, regional, national and/or global contexts. The teaching
on actual events or circumstances, that is told with a definite teaching
case is designed to assist graduate students in global health leadership
purpose in mind and that rewards careful study and analysis. The
Rapid Growth of IRCU
Governance Structure of IRCU and management classes to develop critical conceptual and analytic
teaching case will not include a “right answer” or an “approved
skills.
solution” so it is distinctly different from cases used in academic • 2003 - IRCU received $300,000 from USAID through
IRCU encompasses a nationwide network of faith-based, non-
research. The case will be used to simulate a real-life situation faced Futures Group to support OVC
profit health facilities, including hospitals and clinics, which
by an organization and create a scenario for close examination, The teaching case study and teaching note will present key information
• March 2004 - IRCU expanded OVC program with USAID
deliver more than 40% of the health services in Uganda. IRCU
analysis and interpretation in classroom settings. about IRCU to be analyzed and discussed within a ‘systems’ context using
grant of $380,000; Received $400,000 through MSH for
also coordinates a large number of faith-based and community
a systemic mental model – ‘Baldridge Model for Achieving Management
capacity building
organizations, providing an array of HIV/AIDS services, including
Performance Excellence’:
prevention, care and support to affected individuals, • October 2004 – IRCU received $1.7M through MSH to
families and orphans. scale up OVC and start palliative care
Study Setting and Data Collection
• November 2005 – IRCU received $743,000 through MSH
Formal and informal networks of volunteers, including for leadership management & sustainability
religious leaders and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), provide
The student spent nine weeks working at the Headquarters Office of
• July 2006 – IRCU received USAID funding from PEPFAR of
HIV/AIDS care in communities and refer to specialized facility
the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) in Kampala, Uganda.
$15M to scale up HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment
care. IRCU works with these networks and organizations to
Data collection methods included document collection and review,
implement activities in the areas of palliative care services,
informal conversations with management staff members, and direct
provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV/AIDS prevention,
observation at IRCU’s headquarters and potentially at project sites
Programmatic Objectives of IRCU
grant monitoring and evaluation and overall management of the
located nationwide. The following questions addressed IRCU’s
program.
organizational decision-making strategies and processes to be
highlighted in the teaching case study: With continued support from USAID under PEPFAR, the Inter-
The supreme governing body of IRCU is the Council of Presidents, Religious Council of Uganda has continued to scale up access to
constituted by the supreme leaders of the five religious
1. What is the governance structure of IRCU and its partners, and utilization of quality HIV/AIDS prevention, care and
coordinating bodies (RCBs). The Executive Board, constituted by
and how does the structure affect its operations? support through its network of faith-based organizations (FBO)
nominees from each of the five RCBs, provides technical and
2. What are some of the challenges faced by management and community-based organizations. Funding is distributed to 75
policy oversight to the activities of the organization. The RCBs
staff as the organization continues to expand? implementing partners (IPs) nationwide who coordinate and
and Medical Bureaus include:
3. What are best practices and lessons learned from IRCU’s deliver services. The objectives of IRCU include:
experiences during the past 5 years? Figure 1 - Baldridge Health Care Excellence Model (Baldridge National Quality Program)
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
4. What is the future direction for IRCU and its partners? 1. Scaling up access to appropriate support services for
•
This model will help organize and support the student’s learning process.
Catholic Church in Uganda orphans and vulnerable children as well as their
•
The teaching case and teaching note will help students identify
Uganda Orthodox Church caretakers.
•
challenges and develop strategic approaches to address issues
Church of Uganda (Anglican) Expanding access to and utilization of quality palliative
2.
•
facing IRCU’s leadership and management team and other stakeholders.
Seventh Day Adventist Uganda Union care services for persons affected and infected with
•
Topics will include:
Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, Uganda Muslim HIV/AIDS and their families.
•
Medical Bureau and Uganda Protestant Medical Expanding access to and utilization of ART services for
3.
Bureau eligible PLHA. • Rapid program growth and expansion while simultaneously
Governance Structure of IRCU
Scaling up HIV/AIDS prevention activities targeting
4. strengthening management and financial systems
children, youth, women, men as well as HIV/AIDS positive • Need for coordination with existing management, governance and
individuals and their immediate families. coordination structures of the RCBs
Developing functional health and HIV/AIDS networks
5. • Limited coordination and communication of the inter-religious
that support individuals and communities to easily access advocacy groups at the national and sub-national levels
quality HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services. • Recent leadership transitions and new Executive Board
• Limited funding to scale-up programs and activities
IRCU also engages in advocacy and partnership activities to • Human resource challenges
represent faith-based organizations with the:
Thanks and Gratitude:
• HIV/AIDS Partnership Committee at the Uganda AIDS
Commission Washington Global Health Alliance
• Country Coordinating Mechanism(CCM) of the Global Fund Global Partnerships Travel Grant (GPTG)
in Uganda Thomas Francis, Jr. Global Health Fellowship
Staff members of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and its partners
• Steering Committee of the Civil Society Fund (CSF)
Dr. Ann Downer, Department of Global Health, UW
Dr. Mary Kay Gugerty, Evans School of Public Affairs, UW
Dr. William E. Welton, Department of Health Services, UW